Potomac River Flooding Expected to be Worst in 16 Years

A man jogs in the Georgetown Waterfront park along the Potomac River in the historic Georgetown neighbourhood of Washington on October 29, 2012 as Hurricane Sandy approaches. Sandy intensified as it roared toward the US East Coast, bringing New York, Washington and other major cities to a virtual standstill, amid warnings of life-threatening floods. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Potomac River is likely to experience its worst floods in at least 16 years in the aftermath of Sandy, the National Weather Service says.

According to a forecast Monday evening, the river is expected to start flooding Tuesday night. The weather service says the flooding will along the river will be the worst since 1996, when melting snow from a blizzard caused the Potomac to overflow its banks.

The flooding is expected between Hancock, Md., and Washington and is expected to last through the end of the week.

The National Park Service has several low-lying monuments along the river, including the Jefferson Memorial and the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Park service spokeswoman Carol Johnson says those monuments are designed to take on water.